‘Onslaught’: Adam Wingard’s A24 Action Horror Flick Adds UFC Champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira!!

Adam Wingard is hard at work on his follow up to the blockbuster success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, continuing to build the cast of his new film Onslaught, on which he’s partnering alongside the hottest studio in Hollywood. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira is set to join the movie to star alongside lead Adria Arjona (Hit Man), according to a report by the Hollywood Reporter. Pereira is set to play the antagonist of the movie, the plot of which is currently being kept under wraps, although some tidbits have escaped. He is a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist, hailing from Brazil, and he currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pereira is also one of a very small number who have won championships in two different weight divisions for the organisation.

The film has been described as “a gonzo action horror thriller”, with a much smaller budget than Wingard has been using on the Godzilla films. According to the sources quoted in the article, Arjona is going to be playing a mom who has to unleash her violent abilities to protect the ones closest to her after she makes an enemy of a dangerous threat that escaped from a top secret military base. Pereira is playing a character called The Butcher and we’re pretty sure we can expect him to use his very particular set of violent skills to make an impact on the movie.

What Other UFC Fighters Have Made it to The Big Screen?

Several UFC fighters have made the transition from the octagon to the big screen as their fighting skills are transferrable to stunt work as well. There is an element of showmanship to fighting in the UFC, and so stars with charisma have often been sought out for roles that require a lot of action. Ronda Rousey appeared in Furious 7 and The Expendables 3, while Georges St-Pierre took on the role of Batroc in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Randy Couture starred in The Expendables franchise, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson played B.A. Baracus in The A-Team. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone appeared in The Equalizer 2, and Conor McGregor made his film debut in 2024’s Road House. Other fighters like Michael Bisping, Anderson Silva, and Tyron Woodley have also taken on supporting roles in various action films.